by Mandi Casey
I acted offended and pouted, trying not to laugh myself. “How can you sit there and tell me I’m lying? You don’t think I’m pretty enough to attract that many men, is that it? Thanks a lot.”
“Don’t try and twist my words against me. You are not the type of woman to go around sleeping with every man who pays you the slightest bit of attention, and that’s what you would have had to do if you really had been with all of those men. Sydney, you are a very attractive, very feminine woman, and that was the opposite of an insult when questioning your truthfulness. So tell me the real answer.”
“Two, and I’m not sure if the first one even counts. Are you happy?”
When he learned how many men I’ve not been intimate with, he grew serious for a moment. “Yes, that actually makes me happier than it should.”
He stayed quiet, in deep contemplation mode when it was my turn to ask a question. We were just entering the center of the city, so we had at least twenty more minutes just to get to the outskirts, and then only Blake knew how much longer we had to drive to get to Morris’ house.
“Okay, it’s my turn. How long do werewolves live?”
“Werewolves usually live long lives. A wolf’s lifespan depends a lot on their choices they make, how they live. So roughly they range anywhere from eighty to two hundred and fifty years.”
“Wow, that’s a long time. It’s surprising to have never run into one before now.”
“Well, wolves tend to stay to themselves, socialize among their own kind. Hanging out with humans can be very dangerous. Once a human knows about our true nature, they tend to want to tell the world about us, which obviously would be very bad. So, what would you say if a werewolf asked you out on a date for tomorrow night, after you get off of work?”
“Blake, we can’t go on a date. We can’t have that kind of relationship between us. There’s just too much going on right now to even think about it.”
The hottest man I’ve ever seen just asked me out on a date! He did feel the same strong pulling attraction between us, and that made him all the more dangerous. The temptation of getting to know him better, to have him to lean on through all of this would be great. It wasn’t clear who to trust. The feelings between us were mutual, but what was he willing to say or do to get me to comply with whatever it was his uncle really wanted?
All he said was, “We’ll see.” His jaw set a little tighter, and the air in the car became a little warmer in direct response to his not getting what he wanted.
“So, anyways, my next question for you is, did Morris send that werewolf to attack me the other night?”
Blake’s expression would have been the same if he had been slapped across the face. With disgust in his voice, Blake said, “I can’t believe you would think Morris would send someone out to attack you. No, let me clarify for you, he did not. For your information, Morris has a hunting party out right now looking for the one who bit you.”
“Blake, I’m really sorry, I thought...”
“You thought what, exactly? Did you think werewolves normally go around hunting and biting people on the city streets? Let me give you a piece of reality, Sydney. We may turn into an animal when the moon is full, but we do not go around biting humans like the parasites that gave your grandmother that necklace you’re wearing. We do not go around terrorizing innocent people, taking their life’s blood from them, making them addicted lunatics.”
Yikes, I must have hit a nerve. I put up my hand and said, “Let me finish. You have to admit, the timing of the attack and your immediate appearance seemed to be more than coincidence. Seriously, if you were in my situation, you can’t possibly tell me you wouldn’t have had at least thought there was some kind of connection?”
We were stopped at the last red light leading to the main highway out of the city. He turned and stared at me. I was pretty sure I saw disappointment in his eyes from me rejecting his offer of a date, and now I’ve insulted his entire pack and the way they lived.
His knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel. “Sydney, it’s not as hard to understand your situation as you think. After the other night, it was clear you haven’t been raised to know our world and have just recently been introduced into your role as the Selected. But take a word of advice from someone who truly means you no harm, it’s dangerous to make assumptions of any kind, about anyone, before you get all the facts. So don’t go around accusing anyone of anything before you know for absolute certainty they are the ones who committed the act you think they did.”
It was my turn to feel like I’d been slapped in the face. But maybe, just maybe, Blake was right. What if someone had accused me, or worse, Brianna or Aunt Judith of something they hadn’t done? Wouldn’t I have been as offended?
About ten miles outside of the city Blake broke the uneasy silence. “Sydney, you’re going through a very hard time in your life, but know that we wouldn’t do anything to hurt you or your people unless it was absolutely necessary. There are easier ways to trigger the gene of the Selected. You didn’t need to be attacked and bitten for that to be accomplished. All it would have taken was a passionate kiss with a wolf. The higher the wolf in the pecking order of the pack, the quicker your abilities would develop. We still don’t know who the wolf was that attacked you, but believe me, we are trying to find out and punish the one who did.”
“Blake, if you are Morris’ son, why aren’t you in on the hunting party?”
“Once I met you, I asked my father to be assigned as the one to protect you, to bring you into the fold of the pack. So the hunting party is being led by another wolf while my energies are focused on you.”
“What will happen to the man who attacked me?”
“He will be punished. If he is from our pack, he will be executed. Morris didn’t give the order to attack a human, and certainly not the Selected. The wolf that attacked you knew who you are, or rather, what you are. So by biting you, he knew what he was doing and that there would be repercussions.” He paused. “He chose his fate when he put his teeth on you.”
“What happens if he isn’t a member of your pack?” Just how many packs lurked in the outskirts of Kenosha?
“Once we know what pack he belongs to, the leader of that pack will be contacted, and the wolf will be given over to them. Our pack has been responsible for caring for and protecting the Selected for a very long time. All other packs and their members are ordered to stay far away from you unless Morris asks for help, and my father never asks for help.”
We drove for ten more minutes in awkward silence when Blake finally slowed down and turned the car left off Highway 50 onto a side street. A few miles down the street, he turned right into a long driveway, lined with giant trees whose bare branches loomed over the car as we passed by. Up ahead loomed a large, wooden cabin. Mansion would be a better term to describe the pack den. Blake pulled around to the back of the house into an enormous garage.
He gently grabbed my arm before opening his car door. “Sydney, before you meet my father, please keep in mind he is a hard man, but he means well. All he wants to do is take care of his family. So please listen to what he has to say. Give the wolves a chance to prove themselves to you as good people before you make any permanent decisions about them.”
Chapter 7
Blake escorted me into the werewolf pack’s house, through the grand entrance, up a marbled staircase, then through an ornately carved, wooden front door. I’ll admit, the décor was up-to-date and contemporary. The artwork on the walls was very modern. Paintings with bright colors and shapes were placed in well thought out arrangements.
“Not what you expected?”
I glanced over at Blake, and found myself drawn into his warm, dark brown eyes. I was relieved to see his smile had returned. He looked like he was enjoying watching me take in all the warm and cozy aspects of his home. “It’s very nice, and no, it’s not what one would expect the pack leader of the werewolves’ den to be like. I’m surprised it’s not more on the earthy si
de. But it is very nice, even welcoming.”
“Let’s go to the dining hall. I’m sure they’ll be waiting for you. It’s not every day Morris invites an outsider into his home.”
We walked through the foyer and turned left toward a barrage of wonderful smells. The aroma of apple and cinnamon filled the air. The sour-sweet smell made my mouth water. Hunger pains gripped my gut, reminding me it had been too long since last eating. We entered the dining hall where about ten men and women were seated at a large wooden table. The table and chair set was probably the oldest thing in the house, well, besides the occupants.
To my relief, my sister wasn’t in the room. At that moment, a man sitting at the head of the table stood. My chest constricted. Morris. He carried himself with confidence as he strode over to us. The man was a good four inches taller than Blake, and that was saying something. Blake had to be at least six feet tall.
Morris looked at Blake, and it was like they had an entire conversation with each other without saying a word. Then Morris gestured to both of us, motioning us toward the large table.
“Come in, have a seat here next to me, and we can start eating. Blake says you work quite a bit, and that you haven’t had dinner yet. You must be starved.” Morris sat back down at the head of the table, and Blake led me to the seat next to Morris on his left. Blake took the chair on my other side.
Morris leaned forward, then clasped the hand of a handsome woman sitting to his right. “Sydney, this is my wife, Adaira, and the rest are members of my family. We’ll save those introductions for later.”
Was Adaira Blake’s mother? If so, Blake definitely took after his father in the physical attributes category. “Where’s Michael? And my sister?” What did they have in store for Brianna? Was she locked away somewhere to ensure my cooperation?
Morris studied me. “I told Michael to take your sister out for the evening so we won’t have to watch what we say in front of her. You’re able to speak freely here.”
I froze. Speak freely? There wasn’t really anything to say, in my opinion.
Luckily, Morris took the lead. “Sydney, we brought you here so that we can begin to develop a relationship.” The servants began to bring in the food and served our plates as Morris continued to talk. “You are aware of our conflicts with the vampire nation, and we need your help.”
“I still don’t understand what the Selected has to do with all of this, and how my abilities can help you. I get that I can sense when vampires and werewolves are near, but I don’t get how that would help either of you.”
“Blake says that you have not spoken to Kieran yet.” A deep rumble of laughter issued from his chest, and when he noticed my shocked response, he added, “Don’t be surprised, young girl. Of course we know who Kieran is, and he, I. The vampires will approach you because they think you can fulfill their prophecies as the Selected. They think you can help them get the locations of our dens so they can hunt us. Sydney, this must not be. That’s why you are here. So you can meet my family. We are people who love and care for each other. We are not a bunch of animals the vampires believe us to be. Most of us have regular day jobs outside of the pack circles. We have families with children to take care of.”
“So you brought me here, to pack central, without knowing if it would endanger your entire family? Why?”
“In the past, the wolves have made, uh, slight errors when it came down to introducing ourselves to the Selected. In the past, force and coercion were used to keep my family safe. From these past experiences, we have realized the errors of our ways, shall we say. We need not be enemies. We give you our oath that we will do everything we can to keep you safe.”
“Safe? I wasn’t so safe being attacked by a werewolf the other night. How safe can you keep me? Blake told me already the attack wasn’t from your doing, but how many werewolves are out there not heeding the pack rules? How safe, really, is anyone?”
“We are taking care of that wolf right now. Do not worry. Enough of business. Let’s enjoy this fine fare our friends have prepared for us.” His smile was strained. He put his hands up to signal his guests that they were now allowed to dig into the heaping food filled plates that were set before them. I found it odd they waited to eat until Morris gave them permission. Must be some pack protocol or something. Don’t touch your food until the big guy says it’s okay.
Dinner was filled with pleasant small talk. I found the story of how Morris and Adaira met remarkable. Morris went to meet her father for pack business, and he fell in love with her the second he laid eyes on her. They laughed together because she didn’t want to have anything to do with him at first, and her father was not happy Morris wanted to continue to see her. They were all aware that females are treated with high respect and great regard. It is a gift to a pack from the Moon Goddess whenever a pack is blessed with a female spouse or child.
I was very interested to find out that she was only half human. It surprised me that fact never bothered Morris. But Morris was persistent and ended up winning her heart over in time. It was easy to see why Morris was so enamored with his wife. Adaira wasn’t the type of woman who needed makeup and designer clothes to make her attractive. She had a natural beauty many women pay serious money for through plastic surgery, often with the end result looking like an overstretched human cat.
During dinner, she was very social and polite, even cracking jokes at her husband’s expense a time or two. But clearly she loved him and cared for all members of their pack just as much as Morris did.
After the plates were taken away, everyone was given a dish with a large piece of apple pie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It had been a long time a meal so grand and filling had been set before me. Memories of the holidays back home while living with my mom and dad seemed like years ago, instead of a few weeks. My mom would always make a giant spread for the four of us. Sometimes Aunt Judith and Grandma Maria would come to visit, often for Christmas or Thanksgiving. Come to think of it, they always seemed to have “grownup” talk when they came. Dad would take us somewhere else so they wouldn’t be disturbed or overheard.
When everyone was done eating and the dishes were cleared, Morris’ family members came and said goodnight to Morris, Adaira, and then to me. Morris said goodnight to each one in a kind and loving manner. He even tried a few jokes, attempting to lighten the mood of having a stranger among them. There was love and adoration between all of them, and there wasn’t an ounce of tension coming from any of them. I couldn’t detect any grand scheme hiding behind any of those golden, bronzed colored eyes to take over the pack or to hurt me. Grandma mentioned in her journal that the wolves wanted me to be locked up because they felt the Selected was more of a danger to them than anything else, but none of the wolves gave off that sort of vibe, even with my very astute observations.
Adaira said goodnight and left the dining hall. All that remained were Blake, Morris, and me. “Sydney, it is time for this old man to retire for the night. Feel free to stay in my home as long as you wish, and when you are ready, Blake will take you home. Thank you for coming here and meeting me. A lot has been put on your shoulders recently, and we can appreciate your surprise. You are wise to be so cautious when dealing with the likes of us. I’m sorry it was a wolf that attacked you before we introduced ourselves in a more civilized manner, but please, accept my hospitality whenever you need it. My home is open to you on good faith. Good night.”
“Good night.” What Morris had said left me speechless. Why have me here? To read my mind? Test my true intentions? He left before we discussed the wolves, me, and how the Selected fit into everything. Being able to sense werewolves and vampires didn’t seem like that big of a deal. So what? There were clearly missing pieces of the puzzle yet to be put on the table.
Still, the dinner had gone better than expected. I hadn’t expected Morris to introduce me to his entire family, welcome me into his home, and treat me as warmly as he had treated his own people. From the way Blake had talked about Mo
rris, I assumed he would be more forceful, more insistent that the Selected have nothing do with the vampires, but all he said was he knew the vampires hadn’t approached me yet. There were no attempts at manipulation, no coercion.
Blake pushed his chair back and stood with his hand outstretched to help me up. Hesitantly putting my hand in his to stand, I tried to pull my hand away from his, only to have him grip mine tighter.
“So, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” He raised his eyebrow.
“I still don’t like that the dinner invitation basically was mandatory. But no, that wasn’t so bad. Your family is very nice.”
“Did you think they wouldn’t be?” he said with a slightly stung tone.
“I didn’t know what to think, Blake. You seem to keep forgetting that I’m completely new to all of this. I didn’t know my family was involved in the war between vampires and werewolves, like you. I’ve never met anyone from either side before. All I’ve known are the tales from movies and books. I say your family is nice, and you jump all over me for that?”
“No, it’s impossible to forget anything about your situation, but you have misperceptions about me and the wolves. We’re just like normal human beings, Sydney.” He stretched my fingers open and placed my hand on his chest above his heart. The heat radiating from him through his clothes was intense, and it started to travel up my arm to the core of my body.
“We’re warm blooded. My heart beats, just like yours. We have feelings, just like you do. I’m not sure exactly what you think of us, of me, but hopefully you’ll give us, and me, a fair chance to prove ourselves before you make judgments.”
His pulse beat against my hand. It was difficult fighting the urge not to lean into him. Being so close was the epitome of temptation. My body ached to be held in his strong arms.
